Isaiah · Chapter 22

[ edit] The charge of þe valey of viſeoun. What forſoþe and to þee is, for þou ſteȝediſt vp, and þou al in to þe rooues, ful of cry, myche vſid cite, cite ful out ioȝende? þi ſlayne not ſlayn wiþ ſwerd, ne þi deade deade in batayle. Alle þi princes floun togidere, and harde ben bounde; alle þat ben founde, ben bounde togidere, aferr floun. Þerfore I ſeide, Goþ awei fro me, bitterli I ſhal weepe; wileþ not ben biſy, þat ȝee coumforte me vp on þe waſtite of þe doȝter of my puple. Dai forſoþe of ſlaȝter, and of to-treding, and of wepingus, fro þe Lord God of oſtes, in þe valey of viſeoun; ſerching þe wal, and þe gret doyng vp on þe mounteyn.

And Elam toc an arewe caas, and þe char of an hors man; and þe target naknide þe wal. And choſen ſhul be þi valeis ful of foure horſid carres; and knyȝtes ſhul ſette þer ſetes in þe ȝate. And diſcoueryd ſhal be þe coueryng of Jude; and þou ſhalt ſeen in þat dai þe armourie place of þe houſe of þe wilde wode; and þe cliftus of þe cite of Dauid ȝee ſhul ſee, for þei ben multeplied.

And ȝee han gedered þe watris of þe neþere pond, or ſiſterne, and þe houſes of Jeruſalem ȝee han noumbred, and ȝee han diſtroȝed þe houſis, to ſtrengþe þe wal; and a lake ȝee han mad betwe two walles, and þe watyr of þe olde fiſhpond, or ſyſterne; and ȝee beheelden not to hym, þat hadde mad it, and his werkere fro aferre ȝee ſeȝen not. And þe Lord God of oſtus clepede in þat dai to weping, and to weiling, and to ballidneſſe, and to girding of a ſac; and lo! ioȝe and gladneſſe to ſlen calues, to kutte weþeres þrotes, to ete fleſh, and to drinke wyn; ete wee, and drinke wee, to moru forſoþe wee ſhul dien.

And opened is in myn eres þe vois of þe Lord of oſtes, Þer ſhal not be forȝyue þis wickidneſſe to ȝou, to þe tyme þat ȝee die, ſeiþ þe Lord God of oſtus. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord God of oſtus, Go, and weend in to hym þat dwelleþ in þe tabernacle, to Sobnam, prouoſt of þe temple; and þou ſhalt ſey to hym, What þou heer, or as who heer? for þou heewe out to þee heer a ſepulcre, þou heewe in an heeȝ, a memorial biſily in a ſton a tabernacle to þee. Lo! þe Lord ſhal make þee to ben born awei, as is born awei a capoun, and as an amyſe, ſo he ſhal vnder reren þee.

Crounende he ſhal crowne þee wiþ tribulacioun; as a bal he ſhal ſende þee in to a brod lond and ſpacious; þere þou ſhalt dien, and þere ſhal be þe char of þi glorie, and þe ſhenſhipe of þe hous of þi Lord. And I ſhal putte þee out fro þi ſtonding, and fro þi ſeruyſe I ſhal depoſe þee. And it ſhal be, in þat dai I ſhal clepe my ſeruaunt Eleachym, þe ſone of Elchie; and cloþin hym wiþ þi coete, and wiþ þi girdil I ſhal coumforten hym, and þi power I ſhal ȝyue in to his hondus; and he ſhal ben as a fader to men dwellende Jeruſalem, and to þe hous of Juda.

And I ſhal ȝyue þe keȝe of þe hous of Dauid vp on his ſhulder; and he ſhal openen, and þer ſhal not be þat cloſe; and he ſhal cloſen, and þer ſhal not be þat opene. And I ſhal ficchen hym as a ſtake in þe feiþful place, and he ſhal be in to þe ſee of glorie of þe hous of his fader. And I ſhal hangen vp on hym al þe glorie of þe hous of his fader, off veſſeles dyuers kindis, eche litil veſſel, fro þe veſſeles of wyn chalices vnto alle veſſel of muſikes. In þat dai, ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtes, þer ſhal ben taken awey þe ſtake þat was ficchid in a feiþful place, and be tobroken, and fallen; and perſhe ſhal þat þat he hadde hangyd in it, for þe Lord ſpac.